Ohio college prepares technicians for the ceramics industry

Hocking College’s Industrial Ceramics Engineering Technology program is run by Gail Jordan (left). He is pictured with Mark Cousino, who is demonstrating the glass test furnace in the program’s new lab. Cousino has a degree in ceramic art from Alfred University and enrolled in the ICET program at Hocking College to learn about the engineered ceramics such as ceramic filters for drinking water purification in third world countries. Credit: Geiger; ACerS.

The trend since the 1980s has been to consolidate university ceramic engineering departments into larger, more generalized materials science and engineering programs. Most of these departments touch on issues specific to the engineering of ceramic materials, but for the most part, students hit the job force or graduate school with a nominal knowledge of ceramics.

Only two programs in the United States still offer BS degrees in ceramic engineering: Alfred University and Missouri University of Science and Technology, so it is encouraging to hear of another program that is doing well at training students for careers specifically in ceramic engineering.

Gail Jordan, who runs the program said in a phone interview, “We train technicians and production supervisors for the glass and ceramics industry.” He said there is a niche for students who have training specific to ceramic materials. “Many of the companies that hire our graduates are small plants with a minimal number of engineers. They can’t really afford too many university graduates,” he said.

The program is production oriented and Jordan says graduates also find employment as quality control technicians, firing supervisors and supervising of other plant operations. Jordan says promotion prospects are also very good, “Graduates that are interested in a supervisory track, often find themselves working as assistant plant managers, and some eventually become plant managers.”

Combustion firing is emphasized, as this row of kilns and furnaces attests. Credit: Geiger; ACerS.

The curriculum and lab are focused on manufacturing and production. Jordan says, “Most of what we have in the lab is production equipment. We teach the students how to use particle size reduction tools and classification screens. We have equipment for most ceramic forming processes, like dry pressing, slip casting, ram pressing and extrusion. Also, we place a lot of emphasis on combustion heating of kilns, furnaces, dryers, etc. We do a little bit with electric heating, too, but the majority of manufacturer are using combustion heating, so that’s our focus, too.”

The employment prospects for graduates seem enviable, too. Hocking College dean, Bernard Hinton said in a phone interview that the school receives 4-6 job postings for each second year student. Hinton and Jordan both said that starting salaries for graduates of the program are in the $37-$57 range. The high end, says Jordan, “are mostly nontraditional students, who bring something more to the party.”

Founded in 1968, the college is located near the Ohio Valley’s robust pottery industry of the early- to mid-twentieth century, where ceramics traditionally has been an important part of the industrial base—so much so, in fact, that the members of the local high school sports teams are referred to as “the Ceramics.”

Hinton said in a phone interview, “The [ceramics] program was one of the premier programs when the college was founded, and it has always been a mainstay of our industrial programs.”

The college just completed an expansion of its Logan Campus, and held an open house this week to showcase the new Engineering and Technology Center, which houses the ceramics program. The new facility includes Holl Lab, a 5,000 square-foot lab with over 80 pieces of testing and processing equipment. The lab is named for Barton Holl, former president and CEO of Logan Clay Products.

This year, the program has 18 first year students enrolled in the ICET program. Overall, 150 students are enrolled at the Center. Hinton says the college draws students mostly from the region, but they are working to expand the program.

With 4-6 job postings per graduate, there are 3-5 jobs left wanting. If you know a young person who is hands-on, has an engineering-type aptitude and is looking for a university alternative, have them look up this gem of a program.